The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "religion" ...
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In God’s Name: Abuse at religious group homes in Florida
The Tampa Bay Times shines a light on unlicensed children's homes, operating for years in rural areas out of plain sight and run by zealous operators who believe they answer only to God.
Tags: Religion; religious group; children
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Blood Ivory: Ivory Worship
At a time when the elephant is under siege and the world's media and NGOs have long focused attention on poaching in Africa, Bryan Christy went after ivory’s demand side. He spent nearly three years building a groundbreaking investigation into this crucial but poorly understood aspect of the illegal ivory trade. Using court records, official documentation, law enforcement sources, and reporting across five continents, Christy identified, for the first time, that religion plays a huge and ruinous role in the sale and purchase of illegal ivory; that China's government is driving the world's ivory market, has manipulated attempts to control it, and has plans to expand; and that the statistical model used by global regulators to make ivory trade policy decisions is insufficient and has been exploited.
Tags: elephant; ivory; ivory trade
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The Money Machine
The four part series about the Church of Scientology's vast and unusually aggressive fundraising aparatus reveals how the church collects tens of millions of dollars each year using tactics that intimidate and coerce the people it professes to help -- its parishoners.
Tags: Church of Scientology; funding; religion; church
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Putting their faith in his hands
The story provides a deep look at the rise of charismatic religious leader Avraham Cohen, how he came to dominate the lives of his devoted followers and became a large if shadowy presence in a small town in northern Wisconsin, and how his plans to create a business empire went awry.
Tags: religion; religious leader; Avraham Cohen; Rama Behera
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Rajneeshees In Oregon- The Untold Story
The series chronicled how leaders of a religious sect called the Rajneeshees attempted to murder Oregon officials and sect rivals as their grip on a world operation slipped away.
Tags: religion; Rajneesshees; Oregon
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Brian Ross Investigates: Jesus Rifle
The U.S. military bars the proselytizing of any religion by troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, an ABC News investigation found that the U.S. military had been distributing thousands of weapons to U.S. troops that were inscribed with coded references to Bible passages about Jesus Christ.
Tags: Jesus; guns; military; Afghanistan; Iraq; Trijicon; army
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Inside Scientology
The investigation examines the extraordinary amount of control the Church of Scientology has over its members. One story shows how church members were pressured to get abortions or face jobs loss. Other stories examine the church's questionable finances.
Tags: Church of Scientology; Scientology; abortion; religion; church corruption
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Scientology vs. Anonymous
This series focuses on the “struggle between one of the world’s most secretive churches and the internet’s most elusive protest organization”. Further, it reveals that the allegations of abuse by the Scientology leaders were never investigated by law enforcement. Additionally, the Anonymous protesters, considered a hate group, received donations from ranking church members.
Tags: Hemet, California; Riverside County Supervisor; L. Ron Hubbard; origin; religion; controversy; battle; war
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The Swedish Crusade
The interview of Bishop Richard Williamson led to the most serious conflict between the Jewish and the Catholic communities. In the interview the Bishop denied the existence of the Holocaust, who was excommunicated from the Church. Though, after the Pope lifted this excommunication, criticism of the Pope and the Vatican began. The follow-up revealed that the "persons responsible within the Vatican could have avoided the upcoming crisis, but decided to neglect the information".
Tags: Society of St. Pius X(SSPX); Protestant Sweden; neo-Nazi; conservative; Cardinal; church; religion; Catholic
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Inside Scientology
"The story provides an unprecedented view of life inside the Church of Scientology as told by former church staffers". Their accounts state how management promoted a culture of violence and abuse. Further, if someone ran away from the Church they were interrogated to keep them quiet about the inner troubles. But in late 2009, many parishioners began to speak out about the management's behavior.
Tags: Church; Marty Rathbun; Mike Rinder; David Miscavige; leader; physical violence; religion